Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the USA.    February is American Heart Month.

Below are stroke warning signs.   Strokes effect people of all ages.   Be sure to know the stroke warning signs and save a life!   February 5th, is National Wear Red Day. in support of women’s heart disease awareness.

From the American Heart Association web site:

Stroke Warning Signs
If you or someone with you has one or more of these signs, don’t delay!

• Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
• Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
• Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
• Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
• Sudden, severe headache with no known cause

Immediately call 9-1-1 or your emergency response number so an ambulance (ideally with advanced life support) can be sent for you. Also, check the time so you’ll know when the first symptoms appeared. It’s very important to take immediate action. If given within three hours of the start of symptoms, a clot-busting drug called tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) can reduce long-term disability for the most common type of stroke. tPA is the only FDA-approved medication for the treatment of stroke within three hours of stroke symptom onset.